Technologies

Dear Apple, Please Steal These Galaxy S25 Edge Features for a Thin iPhone

Commentary: If the rumored iPhone 17 Air comes to fruition, I hope it borrows these five great components from Samsung’s skinny phone.

Tech companies are known for, shall we say, «borrowing» features from each other. Any time Apple or Samsung releases a new phone or software update, you can be sure arguments over who did it first, or better, will ensue among hardcore fans.

It stands to reason that as Apple reportedly plans to debut a thinner version of the iPhone 17 this fall, it might look to competitors to see what resonates with consumers. If so, a few features on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge are on my wishlist for the rumored iPhone 17 Air. Reports suggest the skinnier iPhone could ultimately replace the iPhone Plus, and would have a similar $900 price tag. But whether or not tariffs will affect that price isn’t clear.

Samsung’s super-thin S25 Edge clocks in at 5.8mm and 163 grams. It costs $1,100 and is available for purchase now. It’s also one of my favorite phones I’ve ever used, thanks to the fresh form factor. In fact, despite my initial skepticism, I’m now convinced thin and light phones are the way to go. You can check out my review for a more in-depth breakdown of my experience using the phone.

For now, though, I want to share five Galaxy S25 Edge features I’d love to see on the iPhone 17 Air. Apple may not have confirmed the existence of this slim device just yet, but that can’t stop a girl from dreaming.

A titanium frame

Despite the Galaxy S25 Edge’s spacious 6.7-inch display, it still feels impressively feather-light. In spite of its thinness, it’s also surprisingly sturdy, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to snap in my hand or pocket.

That lightweight durability is thanks to the phone’s titanium frame, which is something I hope Apple adopts for its thin iPhone, too. Apple uses titanium frames in its Pro model phones, so it’d be great to see that same treatment applied to a thin iPhone. Since I’m sure it’ll also have a premium price, it will definitely need extra reinforcement to keep it from bending.

Rumors have gone back and forth on whether Apple’s upcoming iPhones will have aluminum or titanium frames. However, analyst Jeff Pu said in February that the iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max will all have aluminum frames, and that the iPhone 17 Air could be the outlier with a titanium frame. I really hope that’s true.

A 120Hz refresh rate

Samsung’s S25 Edge has a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling. Honestly, with that $1,100 price, I’d be pretty annoyed if it didn’t. If the iPhone Air is going to be marketed as a premium device, then it also needs to have a premium display. Simple as that.

Asking for a 120Hz refresh rate in 2025 doesn’t sound like an extravagant request — until you remember that Apple’s baseline 16 and 16 Plus iPhones only have a 60Hz refresh rate, which is truly mind boggling. Hopefully, Apple remedies that with the entire iPhone 17 lineup, and especially with the iPhone 17 Air.

More than one camera, please

Number three on my wish list is the iPhone 17 Air’s cameras — and notice I said «cameras» with an «S,» because I don’t want just one.

One of the compromises with thinner phones is that the camera hardware can get scaled back. The Galaxy S25 Edge has two rear cameras, which is less than the rest of the S25 lineup. But Samsung has, impressively, carried over the 200-megapixel main camera that you’ll also find on the S25 Ultra, and pairs it with a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. This makes for some pretty great shots — images are sharp, colors are balanced and portraits really pop.

Some rumors suggest the iPhone 17 Air could follow in the footsteps of the iPhone 16E and have just one rear lens. But that would be a huge bummer, since the 16E is technically a «budget» phone — even if that $600 price tag suggests otherwise.

Although the iPhone 16E has a 48-megapixel camera with 2x magnification, I’d still feel cheated if that’s all I got with a more premium device like the iPhone 17 Air. If I’m going to spend around $1,000 on a phone, I want the cameras to live up to the price tag.

Beat Samsung on battery life

Another feature you’ll have to compromise with when opting for a slim phone is battery life. Less room means a smaller battery, which means shorter battery life. The S25 Edge has a 3,900 mAh battery, which is the smallest capacity across the S25 series. It’s lasted me all day, even with my excessive screen time, but not much more than that.

I challenge Apple to break past that limitation and give us a skinny phone that doesn’t skimp on battery. It could be a great way to set the iPhone 17 Air apart from competitors — and in turn can push those competitors to improve their offerings, too.

Generous storage and RAM

I was pleasantly surprised that the Galaxy S25 Edge packs 12GB of RAM, with 256GB and 512GB storage options. Since expandable storage is such a rarity — and is practically out of the question with a thin phone — it’s great to not worry too much about filling up your phone’s memory with photos, videos and games. All of that RAM helps to power the S25 Edge’s many AI features it shares with the rest of the S25 lineup.

The entire iPhone 16 lineup has 8GB of RAM, which seems to be working just fine, even when powering Apple Intelligence features. So maybe asking for 12GB of RAM on the iPhone 17 Air is unnecessary. But what I really hope is that a skinny iPhone won’t scale back on memory, and will also include a 512GB storage option. That way, you can really enjoy having a thin phone, without curtailing your use of it.

We’ll see what Apple’s got up its sleeve, and whether it really will launch a cutting-edge competitor to Samsung’s S25 Edge.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for Dec. 25, #1650

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for Dec. 25, No. 1,650.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle has some tough-to-guess letters. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has one vowel.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with P.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with M.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a geometric figure.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is PRISM.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, Dec. 24, No. 1649, was SPOOL.

Recent Wordle answers

Dec. 20, No. 1645: WHITE

Dec. 21, No. 1646: QUILT

Dec. 22, No. 1647: CONCH

Dec. 23, No. 1648: GLINT

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

What’s the best Wordle starting word?

Don’t be afraid to use our tip sheet ranking all the letters in the alphabet by frequency of uses. In short, you want starter words that lean heavy on E, A and R, and don’t contain Z, J and Q.

Some solid starter words to try:

ADIEU

TRAIN

STARE

NOISE

Technologies

This Two-Faced Watch Band Lets You Hide an Apple Watch Under Your Rolex

The $418 Smartlet literally bridges the gap between your elegant analogy and your nerdy smartwatch.

The Consumer Electronics Show is never short on ambitious ideas, but Smartlet may be one of the more unusual ones this year: a modular watch strap that lets you wear a traditional mechanical watch and a smartwatch on the same wrist, simultaneously. One on top of the other.

The Paris-based startup announced Smartlet at the 2026 CES in Las Vegas, pitching it as a solution for people who love the look of an analog watch but also want the practicality of a smartwatch for notifications, fitness tracking and mobile payments. Instead of choosing between the two, Smartlet’s system lets you mount an old-school timepiece on the front of your wrist while hiding a smartwatch or fitness tracker on the underside.

The stainless steel strap starts at $418 and doesn’t include a smartwatch or a mechanical watch. What you’re really buying is the strap system, which is compatible with most major smartwatches and fitness trackers, including Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Google Pixel Watch, Garmin models, Fitbit Charge devices and Whoop. On the analog side, it supports watches with lug widths from 18 to 24 mm, which includes high-end models from brands such as Omega, Tudor, TAG Heuer and Rolex.

The idea comes from founder David Ohayon, who says he was tired of having to play favorites every morning, choosing between his analog and Apple Watch. Smartlet, in theory, offers the best of both worlds, letting you toggle from fitness nerd to polished executive with the flick of a wrist.

In practice, it raises some serious questions, the biggest one being bulk. Smartlet says the system adds between 9 and 12 mm of height to the underside of the wrist once a connected device is attached. As someone who already manages to scratch watches without trying, the idea of strapping a second device to the underside of my wrist, where it regularly comes in contact with desks, armrests and tabletops, sounds like a walking nightmare.

There’s also the aesthetic. Smartlet is clearly aimed at what it calls the «modern gentleman,» with marketing language that leans heavily into luxury watch culture and phrases like «from the boardroom to the weekend.» Translation: This is a watch for wealthy men who want to show off their investment piece without sacrificing their gym gain tracking.

And while it may not be the most practical, or budget-friendly solution for most people, Smartlet is one of those highly niche, standout products that had us doing a double take at this year’s CES.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Dec. 25 #662

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Dec. 25, No. 662.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle has a holiday theme, and if you know a certain Christmas carol, you’ll quickly determine which words to hunt down. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Carolers count.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Five golden rings.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

RIMS, HIMS, MARS, CHIME, CHIMES, MADS, DATE, DIAL, WAIL

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

LORDS, MAIDS, SWANS, LADIES, PIPERS, DRUMMERS

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is CHRISTMASDAYS. To find it, look for the C that’s three letters down on the far-left row, and wind across.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Toughest Strands puzzles

Here are some of the Strands topics I’ve found to be the toughest in recent weeks.

#1: Dated slang, Jan. 21. Maybe you didn’t even use this lingo when it was cool. Toughest word: PHAT.

#2: Thar she blows! Jan.15. I guess marine biologists might ace this one. Toughest word: BALEEN or RIGHT.

#3: Off the hook, Jan. 9. Similar to the Jan. 15 puzzle in that it helps to know a lot about sea creatures. Sorry, Charlie. Toughest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK.